A FRAMEWORK FOR UNSATURATED SOIL BEHAVIOR

A framework is put forward which explains the shear behavior of an unsaturated soil in terms of the total stresses and suctions acting within the soil. It is based on the critical state model for saturated soils, but incorporates the additional variables which are needed to formulate unsaturated soil behavior. The effects of total stress and suction are considered separately, thereby avoiding the dangers of treating the two stress components as equivalent. The importance of the soil fabric is particularly emphasized, as in unsaturated soils the initial fabric is not destroyed by shearing to large strains. The contributions of total stress and suction to shear strength can be expressed as two inidvicual stress ratios, both of which are heavily dependent on the degree of saturation. No unique void ratio condition holds for the critical state in unsaturated soils since the initial fabric is not destroyed by shear. However, a consistent set of 00ws can be defined, for a compacted soil, which represents possible states in which the soil can exist at ultimate conditions.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00168505
• Corporate Authors:

  Thomas Telford Limited

  London,   United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • TOLL, D G
• Publication Date: 1990-3

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 31-44
• Serial:
  • GEOTECHNIQUE
  • Volume: 40
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Thomas Telford Limited
  • ISSN: 0016-8505

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compacted soils; Soil mechanics; Soil suction; Stress ratio; Stresses; Unsaturated soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Suction; Total stress
• Old TRIS Terms: Soil behavior
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00494138
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1990 12:00AM